Tobacco case or cabinet.



W. J. SIMANEK.

TOBACCO CASE 0E CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1909.

"908,344. Patented Dec. 29, 1908. 2 SHEET8-SHEET 1.

w. J. SIMANEK.

TOBAGGO CASE 0R GABINET.

APPLICATION FILED AFB. 3. 1908.

908,344. I Patented Dec. 29, 1908..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

25 Z Elvwewfoz 1 in woes I v I I I PATENT; enrich,

WENZEL J. SIMANEK, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

TGBAOCO CASE 0R -CINET.

Specification of IiettersPatent.

Patented Dec. .29, 1998.

Application filed ,Apri18,' 1908. Serial No. 4,990.

To all Iwkomit concern:

.Be it known that I, WENznL J. -S1MANEK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county .:of Racine'and State of Wisconsin, have'invented new and useful lmprovementsin Tobacco Cases or-Cabinets,

of which the following is .a specification.

-.This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cases or cabinets especially designed for the use of tobacconists 1n storing and displaying tobacco in packages or otherwise for sale, the ob- .ject of the invention being to provide a construction of cabinet wherein the ditfercnt,

brands of tobacco are arranged/in tiers or columns for an automatic feed into the :base of-the cabinet, which is provided with an automatically closing door through which access may beobtained to such portion of the cabinet for removal of the goods, the upper portion of the cabinet being provided as usual with main doors, which are opened only at such times when it becomes necessary to vreplenish the cabinet with goods, thus obviating the necessity of opening such doors each time .a sale is made, andthus =6X4 posing the goods to dust, dirt :and atmos-w pheric changes.

Atfurther objectof the invention is --tovprovidea construction of case or cabinet of this character whereby the extraction of any particular brand of goods is facilitated and the xamount-of time and vlabor in handlingthe goods and making sales considerably reduced, -.as well as to provide simple and effective means for keep' g the tobacco moist and in good condition.

A still further object of the invention is-to provide .a cabinet having main doors with isplay frames or racks u on the inner faces thereof behind theusua glass panels, in

which frames or'racks brands oftobacco of the-character .sold by the merchant may :be placed for permanent display, so that the case or cabinet will at all timeshave theappearance from without of being filled with goods and of the latter being stored or arranged 'therein in an orderly and tasteful manner.

With theseand other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a front elevation of a. tobacco case or cabinet embodying my invention, showing one -of the main doors-thrown-open and a portion of the base of the cabinet broken away to better 'disclose the-interior construction. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec tion through the upright section of the-cabinet, showing one of the main doors closed and the-other open, the latter being broken away to confine the illustration-to the prescribed space. Fig. 3 is a vertical front to' rear section through the cabinet with the doors thereof closed.

In carrying my invention into practice, I preferably make'the-case or cabinet of convcntionalform, but the shape ofthe cabinet and the details of constructionthereof may be modified as desired and as circumstances may require within the scope of the invention. Asshown, the cabinet comprises a :base section 1 and an upright section 2, and is formed in general of a bottom 3, a rear wall 4, sidewalls 5 and stop Wall-6, the back and side walls being-common to'thc base and upright section in the construction herein dlsclosed.

The side walls are extended at their lower ends to increase the size of the base compartment or to project the same forwardly a desired distance inadvance of the front of the upright section 2, which latter is provided with the ordinary. framing for a pair of swinging main doors 7 adapted to close the open'front thereof. 1 These doors are hinged at their-outer edges, as-at8, tothe side walls 5 and maybe provided-at their free or meeting-edges with any-suitable type of fastening means to hold them closed. Each-of these doors is provided with a-glass parieor anel 9 in rear of whichris disposed-adisplay I rame or rack for holding packages or articles of goods of the :kindcontained within the-cabinetfor sale. Each display frame-consists of apair of vertical sides pieces 10 secured-to the side stiles of the door, a -bottom piece 11, and-a vertical series of spaced bars or strips 12 secured-at their lower-ends to the bottom piece 11 vandat their upper ends to a cross strip 18-fixed tothe inner or rearedges of the side pieces -10, thus forming aseries of vertical compartments 14 for the-reception; of different brands of goods, the packages of which, indicated-at 15, rest upon the bottom piece 1 l and are introduced into the respec tive compartments through the inlet s ace formed between the upper cross piece 0' the door-and the transverse strip 13. The packages are arranged in the compartments behind the glass panel 9 so that their printed faces will show therethrough, thus indicating the character of the goods contained in' the cabinet. The doors 7 are designed in prac- V tice to be opened only when it is necessary to replenish the interior compartments in which the goodsto be sold are contained, and which are extracted therefrom through the base, so that the goods contained in the frames or racks on the doors will'be permanently displayed, thus giving the appearance from the exterior of the cabmet being at all times filled with- 19, and the latter to'the rear Wall 4. The partition 19 consists of a board or late ex-. tending between the side walls 5 an secured} at its ends thereto and at its upper edge to a E cross-piece 20 arranged in rear of the sill piece 21 of the main door frames, and depending therefrom into the upper ortion of the base com artment and provi ed at its lower edge wit a forwardly extending flange 22. The lower ortion of the base compart ment is closed y a door 23 hinged at its lower edge to the bottom wall 3 as at 24, and

rovided with a glass panel 25, said door eing provided with any suitable means for norma y holding it in closed position. The door is located some distance in advance of the front of the upright section and is beveled at its u per edge to form'a support for an upward y swinging door 26 hinged at its upper edge to the sill piece 21, as at 27, and provided with a glass panel 28 and beveled or cut away and at its lower forward edge to adapt it to be conveniently gripped for elevation. The door 23 gives access to the base compartment for the purpose of applying and removing the moisture pan, as ereinafter described, as well as for applying and removing a store of tobacco or any other kinds of goods which the dealer may desire to place therein prior to arranging such goods Within.

his cases for sale. The door 26, on the other hand, forms what may be termed a dispensing door or closure which is opened to admit access tothe base compartment from which the goods in the hopper 16 are removed for sale, the door 23 being only opened occasionally for the purpose previously described and the doors 7 o ened only when it is necessary to replenish tli inthe nature of spring hin es operating to automatically depress and c ose the door 26 as soon as it is released.

The packages or boxes of the different brands of tobacco are arranged invertical e hoppers. The hinges 27 are" ceases partment above a horizontal shelf or bracket 31, the space betweensaid shelf 30 and bracket 31 forming a receptacle for a removable moisture pan or drawer 32, adapted to contain a sufficient supply of water to. keep the contents of the case or cabinet properly moist for a definite length of. time. This pan may be removed for cleansing or to be replenished with water upon s the door 23, as will be readily understood. By spacing the bars or strips 30 forming the up er shelf, a ,slot or opening 33 is 'PIOVI ed through which the water contained in the pan is brought into communication with theis sufficiently wide to effectually support the goods, but is of less width than the ength oi the packages, so that the forward ends of the latter will project beyond thesame and lie close to the flange 22 so that the may be readily and conveniently grippe the opening closed by the door 26. The partition 19 not only forms a guide and shield at the lower ends of the hoppers, but is also designed to perform the function of a rack to support sample packages of tobacco. These pac ages areplaced upon the flange 22 and rest against the body of the partition immediately in front of the respective hoppers 16 and show through the glass panel of the door 26. By this means the dealer may ar range the sample packages on the shelf 22 so that it may be determined through'the door 26 the nature of the brands of packages behind the respective sample packages in the compartments 16, such sample packages thus acting as guides by which the removal from the forego the flange 22 of the partition rack 19 and the through ecaeea door'26, which has been openedior that purpose, closed, thus placing the cabinet LI). condition for use, assu Y that the water pan has. been previously fille. and applied in position to keep the contents of the cabinet 26 will automatically close and the remain-v ingpackages of the column in question fall by gravity until the next succeeding bottom package rests upon the shelf'30. This operation is repeated in the making of successive sales, the doors 7 being kept closed until it is necessary to again replenish the hoppers so that the access of dirt and dust and the admission of fiies to the cabinet will be avoid ed and the goods prevented from being'affected by rapid climatic changes through the repeated exposure of the goods upon the opening of the main doors, as in cases or cabinets of ordinary construction.

The advantages of the improved case or cabinet will, it is thought, be fully understood from the foregoing description, and in additionit may be stated thatithe simple process of removing a ackage for sale beore stated results in t e saving of a great deal of time and labor over the customary practice of opening and closing a main door and removing a single package from a pile, and'at the same time the goods are stored and kept in bettercondition and prevented from drying out, while the cabinet always presents a neat and attractiveappearance.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A tobacco case or cabinet, comprising an upright portion and a base portion extending in a vance 'of the upright portion, said upright portion being provided with a series of hoppers for holding columns of packages and extendin at their lowerends into the upper art of t e base portion, means within the ase portion for supporting the columns of packages in the hoppers and permitting roection of the lower packages to adapt t em to be grasped for removal, an outwardly opening main door for closing the front part c the base portion, a forwardly, swinging self-closing dlspensing door for closing the upper front part of the base portion and opted to rest in closed position upon said main door, and a shield arranged in the base portion in line with said dispensing door and adapted toponceal the lower ends of the hoppe'rs and .to' support corresponding display packages of goods, said dispensing door being provided with a trans arent panel through which said display pac ages may be viewed.

,series of hoppers extending at their lower 2. A tobacco case or cabinet having an upright portion and a base portion extending in advance of the upright portion, said upright portion being provided with a series of hoppers extendin down into the base portion and provide at their lower ends withmeans for sup orting columns or tiers of goods therein a ove the bottom of the base portion, said supporting means being of a size relatively to the packages of goods to permit the lower package of each column to pro-. ject forwardly beyond the same to be grasped for removal, an automatically closing dispensing door at the front of the base portion, and a shield arranged in the base portion in line with the doorand arranged to conceal the lower ends of the hopperspand adapted to support corresponding display packages of goods, said door being provided with a glass panel through which said display packages n ay be viewed.

3. A tobacco case or cabinet comprising an upright portion and a base ortion extending in advance of the uprigl it portion, said upright portion being provided with a series of hoppers for holding columns of packages and extending attheir lower ends into the upper part of the base portion, means within the base portion for supporting the columns of packages in the hoppers and permitting projection of-the lower packages to permit them to be grasped for removal, an automatically closing door at the front of the base portion provided with a transparent panel, and means within the base portion for supporting display packages so as to be viewed through said 1panel and arranged to coverand conceal a except the lowermost packages in the hoppers. I

4. A tobacco case or cabinet having a base compartment and an upper compartment, said upper compartment eing provided with a series of hoppers extending at their lower ends into the base compartment, su porting means in the base compartment at t e lower ends of. the hoppers for supporting the packages of goods and exposing the bottom pack: age of the column of ackages in each hopper for removal, a self-c osing door for the cottom compartment having a trans arent panel through which the interior t ereof may be viewed, a shield Within said compartment between the door and lower ends of the hoppers for concealing all except the bottom packages, said shield having means for supporting a series of sample packaglrlas indicating the-character of goo s within t e hoppers, and main doors for the upper compartment having transparent panels and goods holding racks in rear thereof.

5. Atobacco case or cabinet comprising an upright portion and a base ortion extending in advance of the uprig t ortion,

said upright portion being provlde with a ends into the base portion, supporting means Within the base ortion for t goods disposed in said hop ers, said suporting means being arrange to permit proection of the lower packages of the columns so that they may be readily grasped for removal, a dispensing door closing the 11 per front part of the base portion, said oor being adapted to swing upwardly and to automatically close and provided with a glass panel, and a transverse partition forming a shield dis osed between the door and lower ends of t e hoppers to conceal all except the lowermost packages in the latter, said shield being provided with means for supportingnsa-mple packages for display throu b said door. I

6. tobacco case or cabinet provided with an upright ortion and abase automatical y closing door afior in access to the base portion, goods-holding oppers Within the upright portion and extendin at their lower ends into the base portion, a s elf within the base portion, a support above said shelf forming therewith a receiving chamber open at the front, said sup ort being arran ed to form a seat for the co umns of goods in t e hoppers and erforated for communication between sai chamber and the hoppers, a moisturepan removably mounted in said chamber, and a shield concealing the e columns of' ortion, an.

eoasee lower portions of the hoppers and terminating above said'support and rovided with means for holding display pac ages, the said door being rovided with a transparent panel through w ich said packages are displayed.

7. A. tobacco case or cabinet comprising an upright ortion and a base portion, hop ers within t e upright ortion and exten ing at their lower ends into the base ortion, the latter having means therein or supporting packages of goods in said hoppers and exposing the bottom ackages of the columns of goods for remova an automatically closing dis ensing door at the .upper front part of the l ase portion, said door being provided with a'transparent panel, ashield in the base portion covering the lower front porlfaions of t l k f or sup ortmg isp ay ac ages or exposure throng said panel, an d main doors for the e hop ers and provided with means upright portion, each having a glass panel 

